Theirs is a rich, pixilated, Dungeons and Dragons world, freed from the confines of the human imagination by the modern power of Pentium processors. For years, their ilk have used pencil, paper, and 20-sided die to explore abandoned castles, desecrate ancient tombs, and lay waste to mythical, winged creatures.

But today, a modern breed of Internet adventurer is bathing in the cold hue of a computer monitor, traveling with almost religious fervor to a virtual world of fiction and fantasy.

Some are having trouble getting back.

They are the devotees of EverQuest, just one of several popular online role-playing video games known for extracting vast amounts of time, money, and attention from the people who play them.

"I don't think of it as a game," says Lee Rott, 29, a Toronto computer support technician who estimates he spends about 45 hours a week playing EverQuest since he started last year.

"For most of us that play, it's not that we're spending all this time with a game or with a computer. We're spending it with friends and acquaintances."

But Rott's "real life" friends are starting to wonder whether there's much of a difference between shooting up and booting up. Last month, Rott nearly lost his job due to chronic absenteeism -- or, more accurately, chronic absenteeism due to playing EverQuest.

Rott's roommate, Nabeel Shariff, has spoken with Rott's family and other friends about confronting Rott with his addiction. "We're working towards a direct confrontation. We'll try not to be hostile, but we will, if we have to be. I don't want to see my friend's life get ruined."

EverQuest, released in 1999, is a so-called "massively multiplayer" game, allowing players around the planet to interact with each other within the limitless confines of virtual world.

For the sake of realism, EverQuest plays in something close to real time, meaning it can take hours for important events to take place and for the game to progress.

As a result, as players become more immersed in their virtual world and more focused on achieving certain objectives, they become oblivious to the passage of "real life" time, which is the reason many consider the game to be so addictive.

Nonetheless, while Rott's case cannot be considered common, it is certainly not a rare occurrence either. There's Matt Purser, a 27-year-old systems analyst for a pharmaceutical company in Rochester who spent two years hooked on the game before his wife left him, taking their four-year-old daughter. Purser's family came back after he quit the game -- something he says he had to sell his computer in order to do. "I got in too deep; things weren't going too well at home, and I hid away in the game," Purser said. "It was like a drug. I'd lie awake in bed at night thinking about how to crack a dungeon or kill a dragon. I'd be eating and thinking about leveling my character. I sold my computer now. The only place I go near one is at work. That game is a danger in the wrong hands."

Christy Fritts, a Sony entertainment spokeswoman, commented on the "addictive" factor of EverQuest. "Any product can be considered addictive, in that sense," she said. "Diet Soda, Cookie, anything. EverQuest does not physically addict anyone. I'm not saying it's not a horrible thing when people lose their jobs, but I don't think we're to blame. All you need to do is exercise a little self-control. We're not going to stop putting out quality products because people consider themselves addicted. Anyone can get carried away, I think."

Don Gilbert, a family psychologist, has treated three families who were coming apart due to EverQuest. "Usually, one spouse loves the game, and the other, who does not play, resents it," Gilbert said. "Online games like EverQuest become the social life of the person who's addicted, and everyone they play with simply loves them." It is not uncommon for fellow players to greet each other warmly when entering the game, or worrying when they have not heard from each other. "That's definitely part of the reason," say Gilbert. "It's escapism. These people love the affection from their online friends. They go into the game to find something they're missing in real life; sometimes, that's affection from their spouse or family. It can be hard to make the non-playing spouse understand that, sometimes."

Because it's virtually impossible to make much progress alone within the game's 60 levels, players are forced to interact with each other, forming alliances, or "guilds," to team up against the constant threat of monsters, dragons, and other evil villains. This practice usually leads to friendships, and sometimes, marriages, in the game and in real life.

Mike and Linda Nakos, both 27, are one such couple. After meeting on EverQuest, the two began to grow close. EverQuest lead to discussion over America Online, which then lead to phone calls, which finally led to a real life meeting between the two. But both shared the same fears for one another. "I thought he'd be a geek," said Linda, smiling. "But he was a lot cuter than I expected. It worked out just fine." Mike suggests that he had similar thoughts. "I didn't think I'd be physically attracted to her," Mike said. "But I figured looks aren't everything. Even in the digital age, we're still pretty vain, huh?"

There are more than 350,000 people around the world playing EverQuest, which requires players to spend about $10 a month in subscription fees, according to Sony Online Entertainment, the U.S. company behind the game. That is equal to $3.5 million a month, so the chances of EverQuest shutting down are slim to none. In fact, Sony has many online multiplayer games in development, with themes ranging from the Star Wars universe to Harry Potter.

EverQuest is not the only notable online game. Adam Farber, a former University at Buffalo student, found himself addicted to online gaming as soon as he logged onto UB's ultra-fast broad band network. Farber found that he could play his favorite online game, the multiplayer Quake 3, without the phone call interruptions or heavy lag he had experienced at home. And play he would, all day, and all night, ignorant to the world around him. The rail gun and rocket launcher became closer companions to him than any human ever had been. Even basic functions became difficult for Farber. "There were days when I wouldn't eat," says Farber. "Racking up those frags was just more important to me. I just didn't care."

Farber's GPA began to suffer for his addiction. After a steady first two weeks of class attendance and studying, Farber's academic performance began to slip. "I would miss one class a week, then two, and then finally, I wouldn't go at all," says Farber. "I would spend 60 hours a week, maybe 70, playing Quake, Unreal tournament, et cetera. School sure wasn't important to me." Indeed. After finishing his first semester with a 0.89 GPA, Farber was placed on academic probation. Then, finally, he withdrew from all his classes before returning to begin the spring semester.

"My parents didn't want me to go back," Farber said. "They felt that I would only repeat what I did in the fall. I only wanted to return to get at that broadband connection. They were right though, I would have just done the same things I did in the fall."

After taking a semester off, Farber returned to college, albeit Genesee Community College. He now holds a 3.5 Gpa and continues to live with his parents.

"I realize what my goals should be...now," Farber said. But what about Quake? Do visions of plasma gun frags still dance in his head? "Oh, I still play," said Farber. "But playing from a dial up just isn't as much fun. You gotta have that low ping time, you know?"

Gilbert thinks that games like EverQuest and Quake 3 will peak. "You don't hear as many Internet addiction stories as you used to; it's integrated into our lives, and people have learned to deal with it," he says. "Perhaps that's the kind of curve that we're on with these massively multiplayer games as well."